High chair



Oct. 4, 1949. e. E. FROELlCH 2,483,633

HIGH CHAIR Filed Sept. 1:5, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 ii-L A [N V EN TOR.

590154? E fiaezzk Oct. 4, 1949. F o c 2,483,633

HIGH CHAIR Filed Sept. 13, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

4 46d, 4 6602;;6 I Ewell 4%.

E- 2 BY Patented Oct. 4, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Hamilton Manufacturing Company,

Two

Rivers, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application September 13, 1945, Serial No. 616,101

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in childrens high chairs.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide improvements in the manner in which trays are adjustably mounted on the arms of high chairs and gripped in adjusted position thereon.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specification, the drawings relating thereto, and from the claims hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like parts in the several views throughout;

Figure l i a side-elevational view of the upper part of a childs high chair embodying features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial front elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a plan view taken substantially along the line 6--6 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, a high chair embodying features of the present invention is i llustrated which comprises a base portion generally indicated at I 0 and a relatively rotatable and separable chair portion generally indicated at l2. The base portion It) comprises a substantially horizontal supporting member l4 having four legs I6 which are fixed in the corners of member l4 and diverge outwardly so as to provide a rigid base which cannot be tipped over easily. The legs may be connected by the usual interconnecting bracing members.

The chair portion l2 comprises a seat l8, a back 20 and a pair of horizontal arms 22. The rear ends of the arms 22 are connected to the back 20 by means of screws, or the like, and are connected to the sides of the seat I8 adjacent the forward ends thereof by means of upstanding sides 24. The support I4 and seat l8 are pivotally interconnected and are rotatably mounted with respect to each other. A disk-like sheet metal stamping 26 is fixed to the upper surface of support l4, and a similar disk-like sheet metal stamping 28 is fixed to the under-surface of seat 12, The members 26 and 28 provide ball bearing races, the member 26 being formed with a plurality of semi-spherical recesses 30 and the member 28 being formed with an overlying annular channel 32 which form cages or seats for ball bearings 34. A pivot bolt 36 has the head thereof received within a recess on the underside of seat is, in the center thereof, and the shank of the bolt passes through central openings in members 28, 25 and support [4. The member 28 serves to hold the bolt in its recess in seat 18. A nut 38 is threaded over the depending end of the bolt to hold the chair portions [0 and 12 in their assembled relation.

From the above it will be seen that the ball bearings 34 provide a mounting for the seat [2 to permit easy, relative rotation thereof with respect to the base Hi. The chair portion l2 may thus be rotated to permit turning thereof so that the infant may be placed in or taken out of the high chair at one convenient position and then easily turned to another position.

In order to keep the chair portion I2 from turning from its normal, forward position, a spring latch is provided which includes a spring plate 49 having the inner end thereof fixed to the undersurface of member 14 by means of screws 42 with the outer end thereof projecting beyond the back edge of support 40 so that it is conveniently accessible to the mother but is in an out-of-the-way position and cannot be reached by the infant. An upstanding, square latching pin 43 is fixed to the plate 48 intermediate the ends thereof which extends upwardly through an elongated opening 44 formed in the member [4. When in the latching position shown in Fig. '7, the pin 43 is received within the aligned notches 46 and 48 formed in members 26 and 28, respectively. The pin projects upwardly beyond notch 48 to within a recess 49 in the seat l8. Thus, by depressing the member 40 about its fixing means 42, the pin is moved out of engagement with slot 48 so that the chair portion I2 is free to be rotated. When moved back to its normal forward position the pin 42 will snap back into notch 48 to hold the chair in such position.

This swiveling and latching action provides a convenient way of turning the chair top when the chair is disposed at a table so that the baby can be conveniently placed in the chair or taken from the chair without having to pick up and turn the entire chair. Furthermore, the two sections In and 12 may be readily separated for packing.

An adjustable tray 50 is slidably supported on the top surface of arms 22 and is guided thereon by means of guide rails 52 which are fixed to the undersurface of tray 50 with the inside edges thereof slidably engaging the outside edges of arms 22.

In order to adjustably fix or grip the tray 50 to the arms 22 at any of its positions thereon, a gripping means is provided which is fixed to the undersurface of the tray 50 between arms 22. The inside edes ot aims 22 are npwai dly azid inwardlytaperd therealong asshown"at54. "The gripping means includes a pair of oppositely directed plungers 56 which are in the form of sheet metal stampings having the inner ends thereof closed, as indicated at 58, and having the outer ends thereof shaped to fixen wecervetnerem rubber gripping members Gfl. The rubber gripping members 60 are formed withdownward and outward tapers 62 which are conipleinentaryto the tapers 54 so that when the members-BO-are moved against the adjacent tapered surfaces of arms 22 the tray is gripped in place.

Ihe 'plungers "56 "are formed with recessed bottom portions MWhich are formed'with a pair of'aligne d and spaced longitudinally extending SIOtsBBtheret-hrbugh. Each plunger'SG is slid- "abl'y'mounte'd' to the 'nndersuriace of traySO' by ineansof'screwsflwhich are passed through the fsl'ot's'lit' and'recei'ved inthe undersurface' of the 'tray"50. Theheads of thescrews'overiie the side 'd'gesof slots 55 so that thefplungers '55 a're'slidablyfnounte'd to'theu'ndei'surface of the traySO.

A'spring' 10 has'o'ne' end thereof bent about and fixed to the inner screw 68 of each plunger; and the spring is bent'w'ith the ffee end thereof abut- "tin'g against the inside 'suifa'ce'of closed end58 so that 'each"plun'ger"is resiliently urged'to its innermostpos'ition. A cam12 is disposed within the space'between theclosed end 58 of plunger 56 and is formed with opposite "cam surfaces 74 Which'ziie adapted to heanagainst the -adjacent closed ends of "p'lurig'ei-s 56. "Tlie"cam"l2 is pivotallym'o'unted' to the unders'urface of the tray 50 "by' 'mea'ns'of apivot screw Hi The cam 12 maybe formed of a sheet metal" stamping and has an operating handle portion IB'Which extends toward the'front of the tra 'so.

By turning the handlelB in the direction of arrowsa (Fig; 3) itwili be's'een that thplungrs 56 areurged outwardly so that the gri in members '69 engage the adjacent "surfaces of "arms" 22 tolgrip the tray in its'a'd'justed position. By moving the handle 'lii in the oppositedirection the 'plungers 56' are returned to their original position by springs '10 so that the tray59 is released and is 'free' to be -moved on the arms.

'Fornial changes'may "be made'in the specific embodiment of-the invention disclosed without "departing from the spiritand substance of the invention, the scope 'of which is commensurate 'with the appended claims.

"What is claimed is:

1. 'A high chair construction comprising a seat having a 'back'and sidea'rrns; a trayslidably disposed on said arms, and releasable gripping means for releasably securing said tray in position with respect to said side arms, said lastnamed means including oppositely directed plungers, said plungers being channel shaped with the 5 inner ends thereof closed, resilient gripping members mounted within the outer ends of said plungers, means slidably mounting said plungers -'on"theu1'ider side of said-tray for linear moveinnt, the inner ends "of said plungers being spaced from each other, a cam having an operatmg lever integral therewith pivotally connected tothe under side of said tray in said space with the periphery of said cam contactable with the adjacent'closed'ends'of said plungers for projectifig'said plur'i'gers'tegether with the gripping members outwardly to grip the adjacent inside surisees of salid amsfiand resilient means between said. plungers and said cam to hold said closed e'r'idsin' contact with the periphery of said cam,

2 A high chair construction comprising a seat *rravrng a"balck"an'd's'ide arms, 'a trayslidably disposed cn said arms, guide bars fixed to' the tinder 'suriacec'if saidtrayand engaging'the adjacent outsidesurfaces ofsaid arms,-theinside surfaces of saidanns being formedfwithupwardly directed tapers, and reieasahie gripping means for reieasably securing said tray in position with 'respectto said side arrns,-said iast-named-means including oppositely directed plunger-s, said pinngersbein'g channel-shaped with the-inner ends thereof closed, resilientgripping-members mounted 'withiifthe outer ends of said piungers with the "outerends' of' said gripping-members formed with tapers compiementary to'the-ta'pers -on said arms, means "slidably mounting said p'lungerson ti'ze'unde'r side of the tray for linear movement, the inner ends 'ofsaid pl'u'n'gers being spaced from each other, a cam having an operating lever integral therewith pivotally connected to the under "side of said tray insaiid space,=with the periphery -of-said cam contactable-withthe adjacent closed er'r'ds 'ofsaid plungers for projecting said plungers together'with the gripping members-outwardiy to" grip the "adjacent inside surfaces of saidar'rns, and"resil-ient 'inea;ns"between said= pl-unge'rs and saidcam to 'hold' said closed ends in contact with the periphery ofsaid-oam. GEGRGE E.- FRQELIGH.

REFERENCES CITED The iollowin'greferences are 'of'record in the file ofthis'patent:

STATES PA'I'ENTS Number Name Date 822,562 Tucker 'June 5, I906 1,62015154 Seidenbecker "Mar. 19, 1912 983,138 'Dhmah Dec. '4, 1934 FOREIGN-' PA'I-ENTS Number Country 1 "Date 171,264 Giat Bri'tain 'NOVJI'Z; 1921 

